Repair and conservation of reinforced concrete tent-church by Pino Pizzigoni at Longuelo – Bergamo (Italy)

ABSTRACT

In 2016, maintenance and conservation of the reinforced concrete tent-church of Pino Pizzigoni, located in the district of Longuelo in Bergamo (Italy) was completed. The church represents one of the most impressive examples of very thin reinforced concrete vaults structures in Italy. However, the very thin cross section of these structures has required in the years a constant maintenance for the particular vulnerability of vaults to environmental aggressive agents. The intervention consisted in the reconstruction of the deteriorated sections of load bearing structures by means of a self-compacting shrinkage-compensating mortar poured in a wood formwork that faithfully reproduced the original texture of the reinforced concrete elements. The reconstruction of thin vaults occurred, moreover, with mortar applied by trowel. Repair was completed by the application, by spraying, on the surface of concrete elements of a thin mortar layer. Finally, an elastomeric acrylic coating completed the maintenance work.

KEYWORDS:

• Maintenance
• Concrete deterioration
• conservation
• corrosion
• reinforcement spalling of cover
• repair
• thin-reinforced concrete vaults

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank all the expert involved in the maintenance works. In particular:

• Committee: Beata Vergine Maria Immacolata parish of Longuelo – Bergamo

• Parish priest: Don Massimo Maffioletti

• Work supervisor: Luigi Coppola

• Artistic director: Paolo Belloni

• Project manager: Diego Pasta – Alex Servizi

• Safety officer: Roberto Gritti

• Contractor: Poloni S.r.l. (Alzano Lombardo – Italy)